The present invention is directed toward a combined broom and dustpan and, more particularly, to a foldable dustpan which is slidably receivable in the shroud member of a broom.
Dustpans are frequently used in conjunction with brooms in order to effectively remove dust and debris that have been swept into a pile. While the dustpan and the broom are usually stored in the same place, it is not uncommon for one or the other to be misplaced.
In recognition of the foregoing, several broom and dustpan combinations have been proposed which include means for securing a dustpan to a broom. Examples of such broom/dustpan combinations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,553,727, 2,849,743, 3,029,455, 3,082,455, 4,109,338, 5,367,737, and 5,425,123. Each of the devices disclosed in these patents discloses the attaching of a dustpan to a conventional sweeping broom by certain means. For example, the patent to Siculan (U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,455) discloses equipping a dustpan with a clip which is receivable in a slot formed in the shroud member of a broom in order to secure the same thereto. Evancha (U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,455), by contrast, discloses a dustpan which has a trough shaped handle which is adapted to frictionally engage the handle of a broom.
None of the aforementioned patents discloses furnishing the shroud member of the broom with means for slidably receiving a dustpan so that the same can be firmly secured to the broom and can be readily removed therefrom. Further, none of the patents discloses a way to compactly and conveniently store the dustpan when the same is not in use.